Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

In my day, never was longer.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

You cannot shame the shameless.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Come on, man.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Everybody saw this coming.

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Reader Interactions

232Comments

  1. 1.

    Trentrunner

    Trump just here by hearby hereby “demanded” investigations on Nancy Pelosi’s and Chuck Schumer’s Russian connections and “lying” about them.

    (Took Trump multiple tweets to get the “hereby” correct.)

    But what’s ghastly is a POTUS “demanding” investigations willy-nilly, all as a smokescreen to his own likely wrongdoing.

    This. is. insane.

  3. 3.

    JGabriel

    Carrie Budoff Brown via Anne Laurie @ Top:

    Sources: Trump’s team rejected training course for senior staff, cabinet and others on ethics and management. http://politi.co/2lACitD

    Why waste tax dollars on things like ethics and management that they’ll never use?

  4. 4.

    Served

    I always use to feel an existential dread at stories like this, but with Trump’s regime now in charge and totally non-functional, it’s more of a straight-up feeling of terror. Granted the risk of an epidemic is still low, but man, imagine this scenario taking a turn:

    According to an assessment from the World Health Organization this week, China had 460 lab-confirmed human cases of the H7N9 bird flu virus since last October — the most of any flu season since the virus was first reported in humans in 2013.

    This makes the current outbreak the largest on record for H7N9, a virus that typically circulates around poultry markets and can cause pneumonia or death when it spreads to people. Forty percent of those with confirmed H7N9 infections have died — including at least 87 people this year alone. That’s a very deadly pathogen.

  5. 5.

    Zinsky

    Not a joke but a related question: Have you ever seen Donald Trump laugh? I mean a real, gut-busting belly laugh? Ever? Even once?

    Never laughing isn’t normal and is often an indicator of mental illness. I mean, really, what sort of sick person never, ever laughs??

  7. 7.

    Death Panel Truck

    Ethics training is for losers and Democrats! Meanwhile crooked media spreads fake news about very ethical Jeff Sessions! Sad!

  8. 8.

    MattF

    @Trentrunner: Projection.

    And, I guess, possibly, the Rovian tactic of accusing your enemies of doing what you’re doing– but probably not. Rove is despicable and infuriating, but he has some self-awareness.

  9. 9.

    Gin & Tonic

    I’ll try once again to post a comment that vanished without a trace downstairs – maybe a change in punctuation is key.

    A few weeks back, in response to a comment here, I identified J.D. Gordon as the guy in the room at the RNC Platform Committee, but I alleged that he was acting on Manafort’s direct instructions – because I didn’t think DJT45 was stupid enough to leave a trail that pointed directly back to him. Certainly he’d use a cut-out for that effort.

    I was wrong. He was in fact stupid enough, and J.D. Gordon certainly doesn’t seem like he likes the looks of the underside of the bus at this point.

  10. 10.

    germy

    Alabama Theater Cancels Beauty and the Beast Due To Gay Character

    A theater in Alabama cancels viewings for Beauty and the Beast after it was revealed one of the live-action film’s characters will be gay.

  12. 12.

    Mike in NC

    File this one under “Stupid Criminal Did What?”:

    Police are investigating a kidnapping reported Thursday, Feb. 23, on Clubhouse Road in Sea Trail.

    An officer found a woman bound with duct tape and lying on the floor on a couple of blankets inside her apartment during a check after the department had not heard from her that morning, Interim Police Chief Joe Smith said. The woman told police sometime before daylight a man with a mask over his face entered her rental unit, placed duct tape over her mouth and bound her wrists and ankles with duct tape, Smith said.

    She said she believes the man was her boyfriend, who has been served with a restraining order in the past to stay away from her.

    Items were also reported stolen from the home. Smith said warrants have been issued for a man who was picked up last week by the County Sheriff’s Office and is being held on separate charges at the County Detention Facility.

    Smith declined to name the man until an investigation into the validity of the incident is completed. “We’ve got a suspect,” Smith said Tuesday. “We’ve just got to get a little more (information) to make sure he’s the right person.”

  13. 13.

    JGabriel

    @JGabriel (Me):

    Why waste tax dollars on things like ethics and management that they’ll never use?

    On further reflection, I suppose the Trumpsters probably could use the training, if only so they’ll know how to avoid doing anything that might accidentally give the appearance of being ethical, or managerially competent.

  14. 14.

    John Revolta

    Obviously, they thought it was “ethnics and management” and figured, “Pffft. When will we ever need that?”

  16. 16.

    Joyce H

    If they had the training, they wouldn’t be able to claim ignorance. “Gollllly, I had no IDEA that was illegal when I did it!”

  17. 17.

    JGabriel

    @MattF:

    Projection.

    And, I guess, possibly, the Rovian tactic of accusing your enemies of doing what you’re doing …

    Actually, that Rovian tactic is sill called Projection. There’s no meaningful distinction in definition there.

  19. 19.

    Amanda in the South Bay

    In other news, I raced home at lunch yesterday because my schizophrenic roommate was having a bad episode.
    https://m.imgur.com/Brufful
    Not visible is the broken glass from a picture frame, and one very scared kitty.

  21. 21.

    Brachiator

    @Trentrunner:

    Trump just here by hearby hereby “demanded” investigations on Nancy Pelosi’s and Chuck Schumer’s Russian connections and “lying” about them.

    Does Trump understand that he is president of the United States, what are his rights and duties, and what is trivial BS that he is not supposed to be concerned about?

  25. 25.

    JGabriel

    @Brachiator:

    Does Trump understand that he is president of the United States, what are his rights and duties, and what is trivial BS that he is not supposed to be concerned about?

    Rhetorical question, I assume. But just in case:

    No.

    Thank you to our audience for joining us on this weeks episode of Simple Answers to Simple Questions! Join us again next week, same bat time, same bat channel!

  27. 27.

    GregB

    Any truth to the rumor that Rex Tillerson’s official duties will include playing the Easter bunny this year?

  32. 32.

    JGabriel

    @GregB:

    Any truth to the rumor that Rex Tillerson’s official duties will include playing the Easter bunny this year?

    He looks so adorable in that wee cotton tail.

  34. 34.

    Brachiator

    Ethics? Oh, yah, like in that movie:

    Press: “If you’re the government, then where are your ethics?”
    Gold Hair: “Ethics? We ain’t got no ethics. We don’t need no ethics. I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ ethics!”
    —The Bad Hombres of The Mar A Lago

  37. 37.

    scav

    Übermenschen, especially of the orange class, transcend mere ethics and balance of powers. They do not deign to manage, they are instantly obeyed.

  38. 38.

    lgerard

    Is there any truth to the rumor that Jeff Sessions will be the new host of Celebrity Apprentice?

  40. 40.

    Shana

    @GregB: There was an article in WaPo this week that there’s been no announcement about any Easter Egg Roll this year. Not sure there’ll even be one since previous administrations have had announcements by this point in the year.

  41. 41.

    satby

    @Amanda in the South Bay: call the cops and have her recommitted again. She’s a danger to herself obviously, but to your pet and you too. Her meds need adjustment and she needs to be compliant, and it will take hospitalization.
    And if her family objects then they need to come get her. You’ve been a good friend but she needs help she’s not getting.

  42. 42.

    jl

    Clearly, we know management is not a high priority with the Trump gang. I suppose we will have more detail on ethics soon enough.

  44. 44.

    efgoldman

    @Shana:

    There was an article in WaPo this week that there’s been no announcement about any Easter Egg Roll this year.

    Wouldn’t that require the Shitgibbon to interact with (yyeewww!) CHILDREN!?

  45. 45.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    @JGabriel:

    Why waste tax dollars on things like ethics and management that they’ll never use?

    Hell, they probably didn’t even know what that meant…

    ETA… they probably looked at that phrase too quickly and saw ethnics an damagement…

    They don’t want anything to w/ the ethnics and they’ve already got the damagement part down cold…

  48. 48.

    Patricia Kayden

    @germy: Because gay people are so icky, doncha know. It’s not as if there aren’t any real live gay people in that theater’s jurisdiction.

  49. 49.

    Mnemosyne

    @germy:

    Sorry, but anyone who hadn’t figured out that a male character who sings a song about how awesome and manly another male character is just might be gay should probably get out more.

    Oh, and someone should probably clue them in that Liberace was gay, too.

  50. 50.

    Patricia Kayden

    @efgoldman: He’d be okay interacting with the right kind of children but D.C. is pretty much filled with the wrong kind. Sigh. So sad.

  52. 52.

    Cacti

    Trump reminds me of that saying…

    Oh what tangled webs we weave, when you’re a lying mother fucker.

    I think that’s how it goes. :-)

  53. 53.

    Mnemosyne

    @Amanda in the South Bay:

    You need to call your roommate’s doctor and tell him/her what just happened. HIPAA only means that they can’t give you any information, not that you can’t give them information.

    And, yes, unfortunately an involuntary commitment may be the best thing for everyone right now.

  54. 54.

    Pogonip

    Do Balloon Juice readers make big bucks? Every time I read the site I get ads for Cadillacs, expensive cruises, financial advisors, things of that sort.

  55. 55.

    Mnemosyne

    @Patricia Kayden:

    Ironically, the actor playing Lefou, Josh Gad, is straight (married with 2 kids). So this movie theater is super upset that a FICTIONAL CHARACTER is played as being gay and in love with Gaston.

  56. 56.

    Pogonip

    @Mnemosyne: Involuntary commitment is extremely difficult. In most states you have no chance unless the patient has injured or killed someone.

  60. 60.

    DocSardonic

    @germy: It’s a drive in….. most of their patrons are not watching the movie, they are probably to busy going through the Camaro Kama Sutra, to care what the movie is.

  61. 61.

    Yarrow

    @Starfish: Was just coming to post that. Sen. Coons says FBI has transcripts that show Russian leaders colluding with the Trump campaign.

    Drip, drip, drip.

  62. 62.

    Waldo

    @germy:

    Alabama Theater Cancels Beauty and the Beast Due To Gay Character

    A theater in Alabama cancels viewings for Beauty and the Beast after it was revealed one of the live-action film’s characters will be gay.

    This being Alabama, I gather they had no problem with the bestiality aspects.

  63. 63.

    Mnemosyne

    @Pogonip:

    It’s worth a try, especially since Amanda has pictures. There’s probably a pretty good case that her roommate is in danger of hurting herself.

  66. 66.

    Mike in DC

    Harper’s has a translated letter from Trumps grandfather to the Prince Regent of Bavaria, begging not to be deported back to the US for avoiding military service. Hilarious.

  71. 71.

    Major Major Major Major

    The ads are a weird combination of things from the various tracking services and things from the blog content, for me. So I’ll get ads for programming textbooks, pet food, and gold.

  72. 72.

    Mnemosyne

    @Pogonip:

    It was probably triggered because Amanda’s comment that I replied to referred to her cat. Though I do also have cats.

  74. 74.

    Yarrow

    In all the Sessions hubbub I missed this yesterday:

    Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK is to be delayed until October and will take place mostly in Scotland, according to reports.

    The Daily Mail has reported that planners want to shift much of the US president’s trip – originally pencilled in for the first week in June – to the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, in a bid to deter protesters.

    The president could spend as little as one day in London before heading to Scotland.

    A senior Whitehall source told the paper: “The Americans have asked to push it back.

    “They don’t want what will be one of his first big foreign trips to be overshadowed.”

    I’ll bet the Brits are hoping he’ll be out of office by then and they won’t have to deal with him at all.

  75. 75.

    Gravenstone

    @Trentrunner: I saw one of the tweets in question because a friend shared a news report highlighting it. For what it’s worth, I took it more as Trump trying to almost joke about it, pointing out that other members of Congress have also had contact with Russians (including Putin) so their complaints about Sessions speaking with Kislyak should be dismissed as pure hypocrisy. In other words, he’s getting nervous and lashing out. If he truly is “demanding” investigation, then the shit is about to hit the fan, especially if Ryan/McConnell comply.

  76. 76.

    Ian G.

    @Brachiator:

    It’s stuff like this that make me wish there was a “like” button or something for comments here. I literally lol’d.

  78. 78.

    Major Major Major Major

    From NPR:

    Turkeys Circling A Dead Cat Are Probably Wary, Not Working Dark Magic

    The video is unnerving.

    More than 15 turkeys walk in a circle — not running or distressed, but walking with intention — around a dead cat in the middle of the road.

    Twitter user @TheReal_JDavis filmed the moment. “That is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” he says on the video. “Bro, this is wild.”

    “These turkeys trying to give this cat its 10th life,” the Boston resident wrote, in a tweet that proceeded to go viral.

    What, if not dark magic, was going on there?
    […]

  79. 79.

    Ian G.

    @Mike in DC:

    You know who else didn’t want to be deported from Bavaria back to his home country to avoid military service?

    Of course, he unlike the cowards of the Drumpf clan, ended up fighting for Germany….

  81. 81.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Ethics, obviously, are for losers.

    Every last one of these people needs to be banished to an ice floe with hungry polar bears.

  82. 82.

    Yarrow

    @Gravenstone: “Investigation” and imprisonment of opposition leaders is authoritarian 101. Trump is going to give it a go, but they’re so incompetent that it may not work out for him. He’ll have to show some kind of cause and so far the examples he’s using are not good enough.

    I agree he’s flailing because he’s nervous. He can’t control all this the way he usually could control such things before. Wonder what the weekend will bring.

  83. 83.

    Yarrow

    @Cacti: They do indeed. But there are fewer of them and they’re more spread apart. Balmoral is kind of in the middle of nowhere and quite private so protests will be less of an issue. I did read somewhere that there’s only one road in and out of Balmoral, so perhaps protesters can shut that down. Maybe they’ll just take a helicopter.

  85. 85.

    dmsilev

    @Yarrow: He’ll probably tell Elizabeth II that her residences are lame and SAD and need more gold leaf to glam things up a bit.

    And then we’ll find out for real whether or not she has a death gaze.

  86. 86.

    Tokyokie

    Hey, if manly man leader of men Vladimir Vladimirovich can order people who piss him off murdered, then Dolt 45 should at least be able to order them investigated.

  90. 90.

    debbie

    @Cacti:

    Also because he tweeted congratulations to them for voting for Brexit, when in fact they’d voted very strongly against it. Their responses were classic; in fact, that’s where the label “shitgibbon” came from.

  92. 92.

    Thru the Looking Glass...

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Every last one of these people needs to be banished to an ice floe with hungry polar bears.

    What do you have against polar bears? You make it sound like they’ll eat ANYTHING…

    Aren’t they in enough trouble as it is?

  93. 93.

    hovercraft

    @Zinsky:
    Some comedian made that point a while ago, there is something wrong with a person who does not laugh, or have a sense of humor. He also never smiles like a normal person, it’s more like a grimace. Sociopath.

  97. 97.

    Anne Laurie

    @debbie:

    Have they decided whether he’ll meet the Queen?

    I’m no monarchist, but give the old lady a break. She’s spent many years doing a tedious (though well-compensated) job for her country; having to make nice with Lord Smallgloves, at her age (and his), is a bridge too far!

  98. 98.

    trollhattan

    Meanwhile in Kansas, the likely model for everything Trump and congress want to do.

    The latest incident in the long saga of terrible fallout from Governor Sam Brownback’s disastrous fiscal experiment in tax-cutting comes from the Supreme Court of Kansas. It has ordered the state to provide a new, fairer, and more generous formula for funding schools in order to comply with constitutional requirements for public education. More specifically, it struck down a “block grant” system tossing out limited money indiscriminately that Brownback devised after a fiscal deadlock with the Republican-controlled legislature made the old formula impossible. The court agreed with less-well-funded schools that the block grant unconstitutionally underfunded them. So now the governor and the state, already in the throes of another fiscal crisis, will have until June to come up with a new formula. One quick estimate is that it will cost between $431 million and $893 million to comply.

    Stupid judges, why didn’t Brownback buy better ones? And how didn’t he make it onto Trump’s cabinet?

  99. 99.

    debbie

    @Anne Laurie:

    Oh, I agree she shouldn’t give him an audience, but those Brits are always so damn polite, they may not want to turn him away.

  100. 100.

    dmsilev

    @Anne Laurie: She’ll take one look at him, cry “release the hounds!”, and then stand back and watch as Trump vanishes underneath a pack of vicious attack corgis.

  104. 104.

    les

    @trollhattan:

    Stupid judges, why didn’t Brownback buy better ones? And how didn’t he make it onto Trump’s cabinet?

    He’s tryin’. He’s introduced legislation to take funding away from courts that displease him, and to allow the Gov. to appoint anyone he wants to the bench. Points for effort!

  105. 105.

    Wapiti

    The Queen probably had the visit pushed back, in hopes that something intervenes. Trump is ousted, she dies, anything.

    Regarding the Easter Egg roll. (1) Donald hasn’t had time to come up with a plan for monetizing it. (2) The Trumps should be attacked for their War on Easter.

  107. 107.

    MCA1

    @Villago Delenda Est: I think to them “ethics” sounds suspiciously like “sensitivity training” and therefore “political correctness.” Ergo, worthless lieberal crap, fuck you we won’t do it you can’t tell me how to act!

  108. 108.

    Kropadope

    Apart from japes, what’s on the agenda as we start the weekend?

    See Logan with my sister and a good friend of mine. Criticism I’ve seen has been positive so pretty stoked.

  113. 113.

    mai naem mobile

    The babysitters are off on sabbath. He’s going to flip out on the twitter machine .

  117. 117.

    Aleta

    @Starfish: OMG in that video it looks like Sessions is wearing a giant reddish tie now too! (Eerie music.)

    But seriously I agree with you about Comey. At this point he’s also protecting his own amoral self.

  118. 118.

    efgoldman

    @Patricia Kayden:

    He’d be okay interacting with the right kind of children

    He doesn’t even interact with his own son.
    I think he is really phobic about kids and pets. Plus human interaction of any kind is clearly damned near impossible for him.

  121. 121.

    Yutsano

    I also don’t know what this means, but in my federal building, the official Presidential portrait isn’t up yet. I don’t recall it taking this long for them to show up.

  123. 123.

    liberal

    @Yutsano: Not in my wife’s, either. Her boss joked that maybe they’d allow him to put up a wallet sized photo in lieu of the usual one.

  125. 125.

    Yutsano

    @Mnemosyne: I’ve seen pictures of him recently. My God he’s wearing a TON of make-up. It’s like a horrid drag queen.

    @liberal: I’m pretty sure the portraits come out of the White House. So odds are we may not even see them before he’s out.

  130. 130.

    Kathleen

    @Shana: I hope not. Heaven knows Trump doesn’t need a captive audience of 10 year old girls to ogle and catalog as future date bait.

  131. 131.

    Pogonip

    @Major Major Major Major: I don’t even know what Squarespace is (unless it’s anywhere I happen to be).

    This time it’s an ad for using teabags to remove eye puffiness. I guess they got my age and sex right–but I don’t have eye puffiness! My problem is wrinkles.

  132. 132.

    Gravenstone

    @Baud: Think she’d take South Carolina back? Always been the problem child of the bunch, seceding and all.

  136. 136.

    Yarrow

    @debbie:

    Have they decided whether he’ll meet the Queen?

    The Queen is the head of state, so if it’s a state visit he’ll have to meet her. Plus, Balmoral is the Queen’s Scottish residence so it seems he’ll meet her. The Prime Minister doesn’t have access to it unless invited by the monarch.

    The real issue was whether or not he’d be allowed to address Parliament. There was a massive amount of resistance to that idea, both from Members of Parliament and the British people, so I think that’s been scrapped.

  137. 137.

    Kay

    So tomorrow is our first “resistance” meeting. I made fruit salad! I may add walnuts but they’re somewhat controversial so I may not.

    This is a very easy “resistance” so far, I must say. Maybe later there will be marching or something :)

  140. 140.

    Dave

    @Trentrunner: Just curious but if meeting the Russians is a normal part of their job how many of Clintons people had meetings with Russians during the campaign?

  142. 142.

    Spanky

    @Kay:

    I may add walnuts but they’re somewhat controversial so I may not.

    Putting them on the side is always a good compromise, although compromise is anathema to a resistance movement

  143. 143.

    liberal

    Text wife: “Can I take the 8:30 train home?”
    Reply: “Yes”. Followed by “Call me.”

    Grumble, grumble…signal sucks, gotta go upstairs where the landlines at work are.

    “Yes, honey, what’s up?”
    “He’s tweeting again!”

  146. 146.

    liberal

    @Baud: What do the Tories think of him? I would assume the “Leave” folks would get along with him fine.

  148. 148.

    Debbie1

    @JGabriel: Why bother taking a course on ethics if you’re in The*mp’s administration. In fact, why bother to avoid even the appearance of impropriety with Paul Ryan & M. McConnell as majority leaders. Add to that, gullible voters willing to reward bad conduct.

  149. 149.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    No cocktails. It’s a morning meeting. I’m a morning person, Baud. My voicemail is full but I’m not listening to the messages. “look, I’m only gonna say this ONCE” – how can they have questions already ? How is that possible?

  151. 151.

    bemused

    @Cacti:

    Yes. Watch the doc “You’ve Been Trumped” about Trump ugly tactics to get his Scotland golf course. It was playing on cable quite a bit during the campaign.

  152. 152.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Amanda in the South Bay:

    Holy shit, Amanda! I guess there’s a backstory I don’t know, but that seems hugely unsafe. I’m sorry your roommate suffers from schizophrenia and I hope s/he is able to get appropriate treatment, and soon, but you don’t need to be in that situation. Nor does the poor terrified kitty.

    I wish all of you well.

  155. 155.

    robert thompson

    Jared Knew
    285
    0
    26
    Trump’s son-in-law and adviser has been concealing a Flynn-Russia meeting for months.

    By William Saletan
    http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/03/jared_kushner_has_been_concealing_the_flynn_kislyak_meeting_for_months.html#comments

    Kushner is the square wheel in this mess. He is an unofficial official and seems to have his hand in any and every pie. Bannon is a bad hombre but I think Kushner is Mephistopheles, or worse. To what purview is he responsible. It seems very gray.

  156. 156.

    liberal

    @JPL: She’s referencing what people above references, the stupid fucking shit about Schumer having a donut with Putin a few years back. Also something about Pelosi having met Putin or something.

    Someone had joked that, while he probably would have done it on his own, he most certainly would have returned to tweeting given that more shit about Russia hit the fan after the brief post-speech honeymoon.

    ETA I came back here after talking to her to see what BJ was saying about it.

  159. 159.

    liberal

    @robert thompson: What do we know about Kushner, ideologically? We know Bannon is a fucking shithead who wants to unleash hell, but Kushner seems like a large-scale grifter.

  163. 163.

    EBT

    Flying while trans worked out well enough. Hopefully my return trip back from Seattle will be as smooth next week.

  164. 164.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Yarrow: Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK is to be delayed until October and will take place mostly in Scotland, according to reports.

    wasn’t it in Scotland that the original “Shitgibbon” sign was hoisted?

    The president could spend as little as one day in London before heading to Scotland.

    Well, there’s no way Londoners could mount a protest that will get the world’s attention, humiliate the Shitgibbon and scare the crap out of British pols. I saw a poll saying that only about 50% of Britons oppose the visit, but I suspect the number is a bit higher in London. Just a bit.

  165. 165.

    gene108

    @Kropadope:

    See Logan with my sister and a good friend of mine. Criticism I’ve seen has been positive so pretty stoked.

    There is no movie trailer at the end of the credits, like so many Marvel movies have.

  166. 166.

    robert thompson

    @liberal: Can’t say with any certainty. I suspect its more than just the grift. he has been a low profile pusher of agendas to be sure. Does he think a new Euro-Atlantic security arrangement is order and the power of oil compels it. Or is it simple grift. I am interested in what others here may think.

  167. 167.

    bemused

    @GregB:

    Maybe someone has already mentioned this but that job may already be taken by Sean Spicer. Press secretary isn’t his WH job. Pics of him being Easter Bunny at WH annual Easter egg hunt have made rounds of twitter today.

  170. 170.

    Barbara

    @Mnemosyne: Amen to this. I called my sister’s therapists to report anything that concerned me. It amazed me how well she could pull herself together for her hour with the shrink.

  171. 171.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Yarrow:

    The Daily Mail has reported that planners want to shift much of the US president’s trip – originally pencilled in for the first week in June – to the Queen’s residence at Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, in a bid to deter protesters.

    If we can get 500,000 protesters to the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration, complete with hundreds of thousands of pussyhats, I can’t think it would be all that hard to get a few tens of thousands of Brits to Aberdeenshire.

    I hope he does visit Scotland. The Scots are the best, the greatest, at coming up with colourful epithets, nobody does it like the Scots, believe you me!

  172. 172.

    Vhh

    @JGabriel: I am relieved that they did not tske the training. Ignorance of what normal behavior looks like makes their outrageous behavior more obvious to the public.

  173. 173.

    Kay

    @robert thompson:

    I’m old enough to remember when we were repeatedly told that Trump hiring family members didn’t mean anything.

    Absolute bullshit. Once again, the Trump Family get special rules.

    You know what? It’s gross that he hired his son in law. A decent person would have shown some restraint and not foisted their entire fucking family on the country. None of these people are qualified and they make the whole idea of “merit” into a joke. Other people earn jobs and when the Trumps take advantage like this it takes something away from people who earn their positions.

    The thing that makes me maddest about Trump voters is they put me in the position of getting played by these frauds and I wasn’t played and I don’t deserve that. Why is this guy’s son in law in such a position of power and why is everyone acting as if this is acceptable? Is this the rule now? The President installs a shadow cabinet of family members and we’re all supposed to play along and pretend they somehow earned this?

  174. 174.

    Barbara

    @Amanda in the South Bay: I am really sorry to hear this. I posted a link to an article in the previous thread where you first posted about this that I found to be really illuminating on current approaches to schizophrenia. I hope she is doing a little better.

  176. 176.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Kay: It’s the normalization of Suhartoism that disturbs me, much as it disturbs you. On the upside, the downfall is going to be spectacular, and the entire family is going to be affected by it.

  177. 177.

    Spanky

    @EBT: Did you fly TWA? Seems they would have a leg up on that sort of thing.

    What’s that? Ohhhhhhhhh.

    Never mind.

  180. 180.

    robert thompson

    @Kay: Agreed. The one glaring facet of authoritarianism is the reliance on family members to run the government because naturally they can’t trust anyone or any institution. Kushner is the tell.

  181. 181.

    Brachiator

    @schrodingers_cat: l was just listening to an interview with Gillian Anderson, who stars in “The Viceroy’s House,” about the Mountbattens and the partition of India. I have huge reservations about the movie, and perhaps some hints that partition could have been avoided, and that Churchill sent Mountbatten to India to manage independence, but had already made up his mind about the outcome. What is obviously missing here are the Indian leaders who were at the center of things.

    Also, btw, enjoyed Lion, and thought that Dev Patel was fine, with an excellent presence. I think he will grow as an actor.

  183. 183.

    HeleninEire

    OK so this just happened.

    Some background: I’ve joined a dinner club here in Dublin for people over 50. It is fabulous. There are about 300 members and at each dinner (monthly-ish) about 30 show up. So every time you go you may see people you know, maybe not. This was my 3rd. Tonight there were 3 people who I’d met before and 25 that I didn’t.

    What happened: I sat with the people I didn’t know cuz I need to make friends. Somehow the topic of gay marriage came up. I was like “YAY you Ireland, you were the first to make it legal by popular referendum” And the woman next to me told the fabulous story about how her son came out. And her big takeaway was “normal is normal.” And the whole table was “Yay, gay people, also Ireland rocks”

    Then out of nowhere some lady across the table from me says “Have you ever had a gay person…..touch you?”

    Oh holy shitballs. I handled it about as poorly as I could have. I said “I gotta pee” and went to the ladies room (the “loo” if ya wanna be Ireland correct) and stayed there for 10 minutes. I did not want to have that conversation. And I certainly didn’t want to have it as a know-it-all American.

    By the time I came back the topic was on to something else, but oh holy shitballs.

    The end.

  184. 184.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Brachiator: Never heard of it. Will check it out. Churchill did not want an independent India. India got its independence in 1947 because Winnie lost the general election. The seeds of the partition were sown way back in 1905 with the partition of Bengal on religious lines by Curzon.

    ETA: There is plenty of blame to go around but Mountbatten’s inept handling and his expedited timetable did not help. When the British lost the confidence of the British Indian Army they basically ran away leaving behind a bloody mess. Bastards.

    ETA2: I am sure the movie is good, but I am kind of tired of movies with white saviors and raggedy Indians.

  187. 187.

    hovercraft

    @Wapiti:
    I’m remembering the Obama’s at the WH outside with the kids, participating in the activities, doing the book readings, just having fun with kids, can you imagine the shitgibbon doing any of those things? Can you even see him having a good time during any WH event that is not about aggrandizing him?

  188. 188.

    Baud

    @HeleninEire:

    Then out of nowhere some lady across the table from me says “Have you ever had a gay person…..touch you?”

    Maybe she wanted to explore?

  190. 190.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @debbie:
    @Anne Laurie:

    The Queen has met many world leaders who were probably repellent to her personally. Say what you will about monarchy and royalty as a system of government–Elizabeth II is a consummate professional. It’s a State Visit. She will meet him graciously, she will preside at some kind of state dinner in his honour, she will say all the right things during the official toasts–and when he and Melania have finally (finally!) departed, she will kick back with a couple of tall G&Ts and tell Philip many scurrilous stories about Trump’s cloddish behaviour. And laugh and laugh.

  192. 192.

    Brachiator

    Reminder. The movie Moonlight is on more screens, maybe near you. Go see it. It will take your mind off all things Trump for a few hours.

  193. 193.

    schrodingers_cat

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Say what you will about monarchy and royalty as a system of government–Elizabeth II is a consummate professional.

    I will say that she ought to return her ill gotten gains including the crown jewels.

  197. 197.

    Shana

    @Kathleen: They’re usually much younger. Picture about 100 toddlers dressed in their new Easter outfits. It’s usually adorable.

  199. 199.

    ruemara

    I will be attempting to get some creative work done and ignore the awful combo of liquid fire and itchy sweater wool that is my sutures. And working eating at least 600-800 calories a day. My appetite has disappeared. I’ve eaten 6 apples, a bag of turkey jerky, a cup of soup, a chicken breast and 20 crackers since Monday. And a croissant a desperate friend showed up with. I suddenly have a bunch of concerned mother hens checking my eating patterns.

    @schrodingers_cat: it’s hard for ghouls to smile and hide their sharpened fangs.

  200. 200.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @satby:

    It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Queen was “”indisposed” during Trump’s trip and foisted that duty off on Charles.

    Truly, it wouldn’t surprise me either. And it would be Fuckin Hilarious, as Trump has already made it known that he doesn’t want to meet Charles. Afraid the PoW will lecture him on climate change.

    This entire State Visit already has WIN (or FAIL, depending on your viewpoint) written all over it.

  204. 204.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @hovercraft:

    Can you even see him having a good time during any WH event that is not about aggrandizing him?

    Trying to see him pardoning a couple of turkeys at Thanksgiving.

    Failing.

  205. 205.

    ThresherK

    @SiubhanDuinne: After his awful meeting with J. Trudeau, and now this, who will be our closest ally in the world in one year? One could hardly plan to piss off best friends more effectively than he seems to be doing naturally.

  206. 206.

    JanieM

    @HeleninEire: What did the woman with the gay son do, or didn’t you get to find out?

    *****

    Every time you write about Ireland I get misty-eyed. I had an Irish girlfriend for several years in the early nineties and was going over there 3 or 4 times a year. I thought I might even move there someday, when my kids were grown. But the relationship ended, and I was bereft at the idea that I wouldn’t be going so often. Well, it’s been 23 years…… I just can’t bring myself to go as a tourist, is part of it. But one of these years I will.

    It sounds like you’re enjoying the place and settling in really well, homophobic women notwithstanding. (I never know what to say in circumstances like that either. I’d have to leave or change the subject just so I wouldn’t lose my temper and make an ass of myself.)

  207. 207.

    p.a.

    @SiubhanDuinne: I know the stereotype of English cuisine is poor, but I bet welldone steak with ketchup will be a first for a state dinner there. Oh yes, and freedom fries.

  208. 208.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    Finally made a connection that has been driving me nuts: the host of My Lottery Dream Home has a perfect sassy Trump voice!

    It’s on now (HGTV) if you want to check.

  211. 211.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Brachiator: I am not particularly a Churchill fan, especially with regards to his policies with respect to India. But I don’t think Churchill can be blamed for the partition, it was baked into the British cake long before Churchill was even on the scene.

    ETA: Gillian does look a bit like Edwina but Hugh is too chunky to be Louis.

  212. 212.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @p.a.:

    I know the stereotype of English cuisine is poor

    In all my many trips to the UK, I’ve only ever had one inedible meal, and that was on my first visit in 1959. The boiled potatoes? I swear they were boiled in ammonia. (In York, if anyone cares.)

    If DJT’s advance people make it known that he would like a thoroughly well-done steak with ketchup, then that is what he will be served. Of course, given what we’re hearing about the State Department, the advance team may be thin on the ground. In that case, he’ll eat what’s put in front of him and like it, or Nanny will have something to say.

    (Being Balmoral, I would expect venison and salmon to figure prominently on the menu.)

  214. 214.

    ruemara

    @Baud: I am, ty Baud. Just itchy.

    @schrodingers_cat: I’m not, but I’m struggling with a cough that my has cannot deal with, so I’m skipping yog for a bit. I just feel terribly full with very little food. Oh well. It’ll pass.

  217. 217.

    efgoldman

    @p.a.:

    I bet welldone steak with ketchup will be a first for a state dinner there. Oh yes, and freedom fries

    Aren’t there MickeyD’s and KFC in Scotland?

  219. 219.

    J R in WV

    @EBT:

    Oh, so good to hear!!

    Have a good time, Seattle was great the one time we visited there – back in 1988!

    Smooth travels homeward, as well!

  220. 220.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Brachiator: Its certainly was not managed well. The timetable for withdrawal was expedited by a year. The British just left, leaving utter chaos behind. Think of what happened in Iraq more recently. Nehru and his generation managed that painful transition better for India than Pakistan’s leaders did.

    ETA: Pakistan is an example to humankind that a shared religion is not enough to make a nation. That’s why I find BJP and their talk of Hindu India poisonous.

    Blaming Jinnah or any one person is too simplistic. There is plenty of blame to go around.
    In decreasing order I place the blame on the British rulers of India and their rotten enterprise which was bound to end badly, and the leadership of both the League and Congress from 1930s on.

  221. 221.

    stinger

    Will Trump do that horrid handshake thing he does, yanking the other person toward him to show dominance? Trudeau was too canny for him. He’d jerk the Queen off her feet if he tried it and she wasn’t prepared. But if she is, I’ll bet she too is a master of resistance. I read once where some American woman, an ambassador’s wife or something, shook hands while curtsying (in high heels) and found that she couldn’t rise. She said the Queen realized her predicament and, still smiling, tightened her grip and drew the woman back to a standing position.

  226. 226.

    Brachiator

    @schrodingers_cat: Oh, I do not blame Jinnah. I respect his expression of nationalism. With Muslim countries in the Middle East demanding independence and self determination, it seems natural that Muslims in India would want to seize the opportunity as well. And after a certain point, the British became irrelevant, and could do little to affect what was happening.

  228. 228.

    Slaughter

    @Zinsky: That’s a point Al Franken made a couple of months back. That he never laughs, not that he has a mental illness.

  229. 229.

    Calouste

    @efgoldman: Scotland has invented haggis and the deep-fried mars bar. I’m sure there something to find there that will help T along to his coronary.

  232. 232.

    Hob

    @Served: One little nitpick about that article: “forty percent of those with confirmed H7N9 infections have died” isn’t a very meaningful statement without other numbers for context, like 1. what percentage of flu cases in general were “confirmed” as being of any specific strain, and 2. what percentage of people with confirmed infections of other flu strains died. Depending on the setting, doctors aren’t likely to run viral assays on flu patients as a general rule, so it could be that they’re only bothering to confirm the strain if the patient is already severely ill, in which case there’s no way to know how many people had the same virus but did OK.

    Not saying it’s not serious, this is just a thing to keep in mind when reading articles like this. I’m a little surprised at the sloppy wording there because the author has been on the public health beat for a while.

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